Breaking Barriers in the Planner World and Redefining the Planner Person
We all know her, the girl who's always on time, never late. She carries her notepad with her everywhere. She's constantly checking the time. She asks you to hold on while she writes something down so she won't forget. She never looses anything, and frankly she sounds super annoying.
Because the planner person isn't necessarily happy. You know what causes fulfillment and happiness? Continue reading and find out.
We surveyed our Driven Day Community and asked the following question:
If you were given an extra hour in the day what would you do with it?
Think you know the answer?
Sleep. They all wanted to sleep, rest, or just literally have nothing to do.
Well, we're going to do some Priority Mapping, so you have the time you want for the things you want. Not so you can check something off of a list.
Let's go cuddle with grandma's afghan without checking what time it is.
Let's go for walks with our mom and enjoy that moment where you both started laughing so hard you couldn't stop.
Let's enjoy the look on our son's face when he kicks the ball into the soccer goal without making sure that email went out.
Let's spend time praying and reflecting.
Let's learn to cook asian cuisine simply because we want to.
Priority mapping ensures you get all of the above, without, forgetting someone's birthday. Making sure the basics in your life are taken care like doctor's appointments, work deadlines, holidays, and yes, even paying your taxes.
Because learning how to cook asian cuisine but forgetting your best friend's birthday is the worst.
Crossing the finish line of a race but failing the exam for your Master's Degree simultaneously isn't the end game.
Things like time with loved ones, spending your moments doing the hobbies you love. Surrounding herself and your days with fulfilling work. No piece of paper can do that for you. YOU do that for you. Which is why in Driven Day World we say planning is never the end game, it's the beginning. The goal and finish line will always be prioritizing what's important to you and ensuring you're living a life that gets you there.
You know what feels good?
The man who was told he had high cholesterol and changed his diet for a year to be told it's in a healthy range and he won't have to go on some sort of Statin.
The daughter who fundraises money and crosses the half marathon in memory of a friend who passed away from breast cancer.
Graduating with your Phd in an area that's interested you your entire life.
The planner person we all know sounds kind of annoying honestly, and we're about to change all that with what we call Priority Mapping.
Priority Mapping will revolutionize how you approach your planner, empty notebook, or even basic calendar.
Taking the time to reflect on your priorities and values will allow your planner to work for you. Because it isn't about ensuring you don't forget something. It's about ensuring you remember something.
Your family's important to you? You're going to start ensuring you spend time together and have family game night, or put your phone away during carpool.
Have that trip you've wanted to take? We're going to plan and budget like it's no one's business so you can see the world from the top of the Swiss Alps.
Here's how to make the most out of your planner, make Priority Mapping a routine, and have even more than an hour to do absolutely nothing.
1). Making writing in your planner a habit. Let it be part of your daily routine, the place you turn to as soon as you get the text message that dismissal is earlier this week for preschool, holiday parties, and breaking down a major goal of yours into tangibles.
2) Treat using your planner like any other appointment. Spend time at the beginning of the week and each morning and have it work for you.
3) Actually USE it. Dog-ear those pages, cross off something when it's no longer applicable, use your messy handwriting, bend the spine so it lays flat and is easier to work with.
4) If there's plain white space on your page don't be scared to leave it. No need to fill it up just because it's there.
5) Keep in Visible: I like to keep mine on my counter or near my bed.
6) Don't be scared to use it in conjunction with technology. I set alarms and reminders on my phone all the time. Set a timer for "planner time" daily. DO what works for you and one isn't better than the other.
7) Make your tasks specific. Ex:
Book dentist appointments for all kids by end of week
Finish rough draft of presentation by end of month.
Do a half hour of exercise a day, three days a week.
8) Divid a large task into smaller parts. Ex:
If your plan is to start your own business, then begin by writing down all the different components that need to be done, then breaking down when you'll be doing each part, and then you can create a launch date.
9) Be flexible. Your life will not change overnight because you wrote things down for a week. Consistency and patience are key.
10) Reward yourself for completing your goals. I would give examples except we all having a running tally of around a billion things we would want at any time. Choose one of them.
Here's some benefits of Priority Mapping:
1) Alleviates stress
2) Goal setting tends to lead to fulfillment. The mere fact that you spent time deciding your life is worthy of having ambitions sends a clear message to your mind that YOU ARE ENOUGH.
3) Writing things down leads to better memory overall.
4) Frees up more time in your day. Running back home because you forgot your lunch, realizing your doctor's appointment was actually a 4:30 not 4:00. If you're mindful, you'll have to do whatever you want, even literally just nothing,
5) It boosts your mood. Seeing a tasks completed, a checklist finished, or walking down the stage to receive your diploma after years of filling your calendar with test dates is a really pretty awesome feeling.
Good luck, and happy mapping!
Ready to take the plunge? Click below to see our favs.
